Outdated Exemption List, Subchapter O - September 9, 1998Synopsis of specific exemptions from air permitting that were in effect on this date.https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/permitbyrule/historical_rules/old106list/998/o.htmlhttps://www.tceq.texas.gov/@@site-logo/tceqlogo-3colors.gif

Outdated Exemption List, Subchapter O - September 9, 1998

Synopsis of specific exemptions from air permitting that were in effect on this date.

Salt water disposal facilities used to handle aqueous liquid
wastes from petroleum production operations and water injection
facilities are exempt, provided that the following conditions of
this section are met.

(1) Any facility processing salt water which emits a sour gas
shall be located at least 1/4 mile from any recreational area or
residence or other structure not occupied or used solely by the
owner or operator of the facility or the owner of the property upon
which the facility is located.

(2) Any open storage of salt water shall be operated in such a
manner as to prevent the occurrence of a nuisance condition
off-property.

(3) All plant roads and truck loading and unloading areas must
be operated and/or maintained as necessary to prevent dust
emissions from the property which would cause or contribute to a
nuisance condition. Appropriate operating activities may include
reduction of speed of vehicles, use of alternate routes, and
covering of dust-producing loads being hauled. Appropriate
maintenance activities may include watering, treatment with dust
suppressant chemicals, oiling, paving, and cleaning dust-producing
surfaces.

(4) Before construction of the facility begins under this
section, registration of the exemption shall be submitted to the
commission's Office of Air Quality in Austin using Form PI-7,
unless one of the following exceptions applies:

(A) all delivery of salt water to the site takes place through
enclosed hoses or lines, and all storage and handling of salt water
takes place in enclosed conduits, vessels, and storage, so that the
salt water is not exposed to the atmosphere; or

(B) delivery of salt water from outside a site to all
facilities at a site in any calendar day does not exceed 540,000
gallons.

106.352 Oil and Gas
Production Facilities (Previously SE 66)

Any oil or gas production facility, carbon dioxide separation
facility, or oil or gas pipeline facility consisting of one or more
tanks, separators, dehydration units, free water knockouts,
gunbarrels, heater treaters, natural gas liquids recovery units, or
gas sweetening and other gas conditioning facilities, including
sulfur recovery units at facilities conditioning produced gas
containing less than two long tons per day of sulfur compounds as
sulfur are exempt, provided that the following conditions of this
section are met. This section applies only to those facilities
named which handle gases and liquids associated with the
production, conditioning, processing, and pipeline transfer of
fluids found in geologic formations beneath the earth's surface.

(1) Compressors and flares shall meet the requirements of
106.512 and 106.492 of this title (relating to Stationary Engines
and Turbines (Previously SE 6) and Flares (Previously SE 80)).

(2) Total emissions, including process fugitives, combustion
unit stacks, separator, or other process vents, tank vents, and
loading emissions from all such facilities constructed at a site
under this section shall not exceed 25 tons per year (tpy) each of
sulfur dioxide (SO2), all other sulfur compounds combined, or all
volatile organic compounds (VOC) combined; and 250 tpy each of
nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Emissions of VOC and sulfur
compounds other than SO2 must include gas lost by equilibrium flash
as well as gas lost by conventional evaporation.

(3) Any facility handling sour gas shall be located at least
1/4 mile from any recreational area or residence or other structure
not occupied or used solely by the owner or operator of the
facility or the owner of the property upon which the facility is
located.

(4) Total emissions of sulfur compounds, excluding sulfur
oxides, from all vents shall not exceed 4.0 pounds per hour (lb/hr)
and the height of each vent emitting sulfur compounds shall meet
the following requirements, except in no case shall the height be
less than 20 feet:

Total as Hydrogen Sulfide,
lb/hr

Minimum vent height, feet

0.27

20

0.60

30

1.94

50

3.00

60

4.00

68

NOTE: Other values may be interpolated.

(5) Before operation begins, facilities handling sour gas
shall be registered with the commission's Office of Air Quality in
Austin using Form PI-7 along with supporting documentation that all
requirements of this section will be met. For facilities
constructed under 106.353 of this title (relating to Temporary Oil
and Gas Facilities (Previously SE 67)), the registration is
required before operation under this section can begin. If the
facilities cannot meet this section, a permit under Chapter 116 of
this title (relating to Control of Air Pollution by Permits for New
Construction or Modification) is required prior to continuing
operation of the facilities.

106.353 Temporary Oil and
Gas Facilities (Previously SE 67)

Temporary separators, tanks, meters, and fluid-handling
equipment used for a period not to exceed 90 operating days are
exempt, provided that all the following conditions of this section
are satisfied.

(1) The purpose of the 90-day period is to test the content of
a subsurface stratum believed to contain oil or gas and/or to
establish the proper design of a permanent fluid-handling facility.

(2) Any sour gas produced during this test period shall be
burned in a smokeless flare which meets the requirements of
conditions of 106.492(1)(C) and (2)(A) and (C) of this title
(relating to Flares (Previously SE 80)).

(3) Total emissions of reduced sulfur compounds, excluding
sulfur oxides, but including hydrogen sulfide, shall not exceed 4.0
pounds per hour and the emission point height of any vent of
reduced sulfur compounds shall meet the requirements of 106.352(4)
of this title (relating to Oil and Gas Production Facilities
(Previously SE 66)).

(4) Operation of a facility authorized by this section beyond
the 90-day period shall not be allowed unless such operation is
authorized under exemption from permitting or is permitted under
Chapter 116 of this title (relating to Control of Air Pollution by
Permits for New Construction or Modification).

106.354 Iron Sponge Gas
Treating Unit (Previously SE 79)

Iron sponge gas treating units processing streams containing
less than 60 pounds per hour of hydrogen sulfide are exempt
provided that the following conditions of this section are
satisfied:

(1) the plant is located at least 1/4 mile from any
recreational area or residence or other structure not occupied or
used solely by the owner of the facility or the owner of the
property upon which the facility is located;

(2) during replacement of the iron oxide impregnated chips,
the unit is:

(A) isolated from the main system and the pressure is reduced
to 0.5 psia or less through a gas-fired flare; or

(B) sulfur compound emissions to the atmosphere do not exceed
one ton per replacement;

(3) the spent iron oxide chips being replaced are properly
handled to avoid spontaneous ignition and avoid an odor nuisance.

Metering, purging, and maintenance operations for gaseous and
liquid petroleum pipelines (including ethylene, propylene,
butylene, and butadiene pipelines) are exempt provided that
operations are conducted according to the following conditions of
this section:

(1) emissions of volatile organic compounds, except fugitive
emissions, are burned in a smokeless flare; or

(2) total emissions of any air contaminant will not exceed one
ton during any metering, purging, or maintenance operation;

(3) venting of sweet, commercial grade natural gas from
pipelines is exempt from paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section.
Care must be taken not to vent the gas in an area where an ignition
source may exist or where accidental ignition of the venting gas
may increase risk of fire at nearby tanks or other facilities.